Never Alone
by saxgirl42
Summary: When their first mission together goes horribly wrong, Rude makes a solemn promise to his new partner. Rated T for language and some gore.


_**Author's Note:**__ Barreling my way into yet another fandom! Yes, my friends, this is a story about my two favorite Turks, Reno and Rude. I recently watched the "Advent Children" movie, but I have not played the game, so if there are any horrible discrepancies, I apologize ahead of time. I actually am aware, for example, that Elena joined the Turks after Reno, but just bear with me for the sake of this story. I also have no idea about their ages. I guessed. Deal._

_Another note: This could be seen as either very light boy love or platonic partner love. It all depends on how you read it, and you can read it whichever way you want. It's from Rude's POV, so I guess it depends on how you see HIM perceiving the relationship between him and Reno._

_Now I will stop my babbling, and let you get on with the story! I love feedback, so please leave a comment. Comments = LOVE, people._

_Thank you, and enjoy!_

o-o-o

**Never Alone**

I didn't think I needed a partner, but apparently Rufus found me one anyway. He claimed it would do me good, and that the kid was special. He also joked that I would never have to speak again because my partner would do all the talking.

That was the understatement of the century.

Reno was a lanky kid with a loud mouth, and in the helicopter on the way to our first mission together I was thinking of all the different ways I could strangle him. I hadn't known him for more than a week.

"So how far is this place anyway?" he asked, twirling his stun baton between long fingers.

"About another fifteen minutes," Tseng answered from his seat up front, patient as always. Reno heaved a sigh but, surprisingly, didn't make any comment. He just turned and stared out the window. I made eye contact with Elena and raised my eyebrows; she giggled, knowing exactly what I meant by the look. She had teased me about my new partner earlier that day.

"Oh, come on, Rude," she had chuckled. "He's so cute! Like an eager little puppy."

Sure. A puppy. An annoying, unkempt, cynical, noisy puppy that I just wanted to give a swift kick in the –

"As long as we're all quiet, should we go over our jobs?" Tseng asked, all business. Elena sat up straighter as she recited her part.

"I stay on the helipad, keeping contact with the three of you and tracking our target."

"I go in first and take out the guards as quickly and silently as possible," I said.

"I follow Rude and take out stragglers, then keep watch at the exit," Reno muttered, apparently not too happy with his job.

"And I go for the boss," Tseng finished up. "Good, then. Reno, you stay close to Rude since this is your first mission, all right?"

"Sure," came the mumbled reply. I glanced at the kid, but his gaze was still directed out the window.

"Here." Elena handed me a small black earpiece, then gave one to Reno and Tseng, as well. "They're state-of-the-art. Never been used before. Just press the little button on the side and put it in your ear and we'll be able to keep tabs on each other."

"Do you think we'll need to?" Reno asked as he slid the little earpiece into place. I frowned; he actually sounded a bit nervous. Elena shrugged.

"It's a precaution."

"Reno, this should be a simple job. Just your run-of-the-mill assassination," Tseng said. The kid nodded and resumed his stare out the window.

So maybe he wasn't as cocky as I had thought. He was, after all, just a kid, a fact that was evident as I watched him staring nervously out at the world below. He couldn't be more than sixteen or seventeen.

I sighed lightly and looked out my own window. I'd watch out for him today. He was my partner and, as young and annoying as he was, that would not change.

We arrived at our destination on time and without any problems. Tseng landed the chopper a few buildings away from where our target was so as not to attract attention. We helped Elena get set up on the top of the building, then the three of us – Tseng, Reno, and I – headed over to get the job done.

The front door was completely uncovered. I tell ya. Crime syndicates. Totally underestimate the power of their enemies.

I led the way up to the door, Reno right behind me. Tseng lingered near an alley across the street in case the whole thing went to pot right away. I motioned for Reno to stand back, then tried the door handle and found it unlocked. I was glad to see Reno's eyes narrow in suspicion. He had the same thought as me: this was too easy. We made eye contact and I nodded minutely, then entered the building with my firearm out before me, ready for an attack.

Nothing. Not a single guard in the front hall. I scanned the adjacent rooms, then waved for Reno to approach. I didn't even notice him until he was right next to me. Nearly gave me a heart attack. I would say this for the kid, he could be quiet if he wanted to.

I tapped my earpiece once out of habit before addressing Tseng.

"Looks clear for now. I'm going up a couple levels to make sure, but I'd say it's a go."

"Sounds good," came the reply, and I had to hand it to Elena and her new gadgets, it sounded like he was right beside me.

"Follow me, kid," I said, moving up the stairwell. Reno made a face.

"Don't call me 'kid'," he muttered. I smirked, but choked on my reply when something bumped on the floor just above us. I motioned for Reno to stop, but it was unnecessary; the kid wasn't a bad agent. He knew when to be quiet. I held my hand extended behind me to keep him still, then edged up the stairs until I could see onto the floor above us. I could just make out three pairs of uniform black shoes. Guards. Damn.

Grimacing, I raised my gun and mentally counted to five, then burst up the stairs and took them down with three well-aimed, silenced shots. Their falling bodies made more noise than I would have liked, but there wasn't much I could do about that. I stood in the doorway, still poised to shoot, but no more guards presented themselves.

"Trouble?" That was Elena, her voice clear as a bell in my ear.

"Just a few guards," I murmured. "Tseng, you're still clear to come."

"Good to know," he chuckled. I glanced behind me and saw him already climbing the stairs. He placed a reassuring hand on Reno's shoulder as he past, but the kid seemed a lot calmer than he had in the helicopter. Shit if I knew why.

"Target is on the twelfth floor," Elena informed us. "There are only fifteen guards between you and him, spread out on the floors." Tseng smiled grimly at me.

"That's not so bad," he said. I didn't reply; there was something else, I could tell. Something Elena hadn't told us yet.

"One problem." There it was. "The sensors can't reach the basement, so I have no idea what – or who – is down there. Rude, maybe you should check that out and let Tseng take the fifteen above."

"I'll do it." Tseng and I turned to face Reno, who had just entered the room. His blue eyes were fierce as he repeated, "I can do it."

"You sure, Reno? We don't know how many men could be down there," Tseng said carefully. Reno shrugged.

"There could be none. Instead of one of you wasting your time, why not just send the rookie?"

Tseng and I exchanged glances. I shrugged. What could it hurt? We'd all be connected via the earpieces, anyway, so the kid could contact us if he needed help.

"Fine," Tseng said with a tight nod. "Reno, check the basement. Rude and I will continue upstairs."

"Yes, sir," Reno said with a grin and a salute, then headed back down the stairwell. Tseng turned to go on, but I couldn't stop staring at the kid's retreating back. Something wasn't right…

"Rude." I met Tseng's dark gaze. "He'll be fine. Let's go."

"Target has moved," Elena said suddenly. "The guards have split. Seven are coming down your way, the others are accompanying the target to the roof. I'd hurry up if I were you."

Tseng and I sprinted up the stairs without any more hesitation. I pulled in front of him, recalling that my job was to take out as many guards as possible so he could get to the target. I checked my gun and extra cartridges as we ran, making sure they were within easy reach, and I heard Tseng adjusting his own weapons behind me.

We ran up six flights unchallenged before meeting up with the first guards. They managed to get off a couple shots before I even knew they were there, but as soon as the first bullet lodged into the wall above my head I stopped and grabbed my gun, taking only a moment to aim before killing all three with single shots. The others shouted in a foreign language a few floors up, so Tseng and I just had to follow the voices and pick them off one by one.

Finally we caught up with the main group. Tseng broke off to follow the leader while I dealt swiftly with the remaining guards. There were four left for me, and they were a lot bigger than the others we had fought. I had run out of bullets a couple floors down and had yet to find time to change the cartridge, and they took advantage of that. Two of them charged me with great roars. I braced myself and met them head on, grabbing the first man's extended arms and flipping him over my back. He landed on the floor with a sickeningly satisfying crunch and stayed there, but I had no time to relish the victory before the second was upon me. I pivoted and landed a solid kick in his chest, leaving a dusty footprint and a couple broken ribs. He fell back into one of his comrades as the fourth guard charged me, but the slight pause was all the time I needed to change cartridges. I raised my newly reloaded gun and shot the oncoming guard in his forehead, then turned my weapon on the last standing man, killing him before he even regained his feet. I left the injured men, assuming they wouldn't prove to be troublesome anymore, and jogged after Tseng.

The stairwell leading up to the twelfth floor was clogged with bodies.

"Position, Tseng," I said into the earpiece.

"In sight of the target," was the quiet reply, so I began the descent, trusting him to get the job done.

Just as I was about to re-emerge into the eleventh floor, I heard the sounds of a fight echoing in my ear. Confused, I touched the earpiece lightly.

"Tseng?" No reply, just more fighting. I heard one man – an unfamiliar voice, thankfully – cry out in pain. I frowned, confused.

"Rude?" It was Reno.

"What is it?"

"The basement is definitely not clear." I paused in the stairwell; someone was moving on the floor below me.

"Can it wait a moment?"

"I guess, but I could really –"

"Be quiet, Reno."

"Fine."

I could tell by his tone of voice that I had pissed him off, but at the moment I only cared about the two extra guards who had appeared on the floor beneath me. They were checking the wounds of the four men I had taken on not five minutes ago. Why hadn't Elena said anything about this?

"Elena," I hissed, intent on giving her a proper scolding. All I heard from her end was light static, though. Strange, as Reno's line was apparently working, and so was Tseng's. Or… was it?

"Tseng," I said. He didn't answer. Damn technology. "Reno?" Again, nothing. I started to get worried, then sighed. "Kid, I know I told you to shut-up, but I need to know if we're still online."

"Oh. Yeah," he said reluctantly.

"Good. Now stay quiet." I crouched and aimed my gun at the taller of the two men, then felled him with a single silent shot. His partner cried out and grabbed him before he hit the ground, looking around desperately for the shooter. I heard a muffled gasp from Reno's end, then more fighting and finally the sound of a body falling. I hadn't realized I had frozen until I heard his voice again.

"Rude, I need you down here."

"I'm a little busy," I hissed, aiming my firearm at the remaining man.

"But I –"

"Hang on." I fired and the man dropped with a satisfying thud. I took in a deep breath and edged back from the top of the stairs. "Okay, Reno. What's wrong?" There was no answer. I frowned and poked the earpiece. "Reno?" Still nothing, and then –

_BANG. BANG._

Two gunshots, so loud I thought my ear would bleed. I heard pained groaning from his end and my blood went cold.

"Reno?" I hissed.

"Sorry. I didn't want to give away my position." The groans hadn't been his. I let out a breath I hadn't known I was holding and sat back against the wall. This kid was going to give me a heart attack.

"Do you still need me?" I asked.

"I'm not sure how many more there are, but – _fuck_!"

"Reno? What is it?"

"Shit, they're – _damnit_, wait, I can't –" The rest was cut off by more gunshots and yells.

"Reno, hold on! I'll be there soon!" I jumped to my feet and barreled down the stairs. Damn, _why_ did I have to be on the eleventh floor while he was in the basement?

The signal kept cutting in and out. For state-of-the-art earpieces, they got pretty garbled in a tough spot. I made a mental note to complain to Elena after this was all done.

"Rude --- help --- I ---" More gunshots, and I heard Reno hiss in pain a couple times.

"Reno, just keep talking!" I said, hurtling down the stairs with speed I didn't know I possessed.

"Can't – ARGH!" The earpiece crackled loudly after his cry and I had to stop on a landing to clear my head of the noise.

"Reno? You there? Reno!" I called.

"Reno. Is that the red-head's name?" a heavily accented voice asked, apparently greatly amused. My heart dropped into my stomach.

"What have you done?" I demanded, continuing my sprint down the stairs. Only three more flights to go.

"We know you've killed our boss," the voice spat. "We're just returning the favor."

No. No no no no no.

He laughed at my silence and said something else, but my heart was pounding too loudly for me to hear. Could they have killed him? Was Reno –

No way. I was supposed to be looking after the kid and he would _not_ die on my watch.

I already had my gun out when I burst through the door and into the basement. There must have been ten guys down there. Four of them fell immediately to my bullets. The others were clustered around something on the ground. I caught a glimpse of red hair and my rage flared to greater heights. They fell next.

One of the cries of pain elicited by my shots was vaguely familiar. I pinpointed the man and stepped over his dead comrades to get to him. He was still alive. Good. I kicked him over and glared at his bloody, terrified face.

"Please, mercy!" he begged, his voice trembling pathetically. "Have mercy." I aimed my gun at his face and let my eyes travel to Reno's battered body. There was blood surrounding him, so much blood…

My gaze returned to the man at my feet.

"No."

_BANG._

My gun dropped from my numb fingers with a clatter and I went immediately to Reno's side.

He looked so small. His eyes were closed, his face contorted into an expression of agony. I didn't know what to do first. I fell to my knees beside him, heedless of the spreading pool of blood, and scanned his body for injuries. A multitude of bruises and cuts, a possibly broken arm, and three gunshots: right shoulder, left hip, and left temple. The last had cracked his goggles and grazed his forehead, and I could see where it had lodged into the concrete behind his head. This pissed me off more than anything else had so far. The bastards had actually taken a shot at him while he was on the floor!

"Damn, Reno," I cursed. He was bleeding profusely and I had to act fast. I ripped his already-shredded shirt and bound the wounds as best I could. It worried me how little he reacted to the pressure I was putting on his injuries. Finally I couldn't take his silence. Strange, as not more than five minutes ago I had been telling him to be quiet…

"Reno, can you hear me?" I asked. He didn't respond. "Reno, I need you to say something. Can you do that for me?" Still nothing. I adjusted my earpiece and tried a new tactic.

"Tseng? Elena? Hello?"

Nothing but silence. These earpieces officially sucked.

Reno suddenly groaned and opened his eyes, fixing a dull stare on the ceiling.

"Reno?"

He didn't answer. Shit – I was losing him. I grasped his hand tightly.

"Reno, look at me."

Blue eyes turned toward me, dull and distant, but he still didn't speak. The silence scared me more than anything.

"Reno, you're going to be fine, I swear."

"R – Rude?"

My heart clenched. He was just now recognizing me? How much blood did he lose?

"I'm here," I told him, running a soothing hand through his blood-soaked red hair. "You're okay."

"C – cold," he whimpered. Damn, I hated to see him like this. Why couldn't he just pop up and start talking my ears off again?

"Here." I shucked my jacket and carefully laid it over him, mindful of his wounds. The makeshift bandages were already soaked through with gore, and the puddle of blood beneath him was still spreading slowly. Damnit! Where were Tseng and Elena? My gaze travelled back to Reno's too-pale face. His half-lidded eyes were staring into the distance somewhere over my right shoulder.

"No, Reno!" I growled, tapping his cheek to bring him back. "You can't do this! Stay with me!" He blinked and gradually focused back on me.

"Tired," he whispered.

"I know, but you can't go to sleep, all right? Just stay awake for a little while longer." Who was I kidding? He couldn't take much more of this, and neither could I. The kid was in absolute agony, and there was nothing I could do. I tried the earpiece again.

"Tseng? Elena? Can you hear me?"

Silence. Damn.

I reached for Reno's hand again. It was cold beneath the slick coating of blood, and he barely gripped back. I could feel my heart beating in my throat. It was his first mission, _our_ first mission together as partners. It should have been a simple hit-and-run, in and out, like clockwork. But… Reno had been caught, beaten, shot, nearly killed, and now his life was quite literally slipping right through my fingers.

Where had we gone wrong?

"Reno," I murmured, leaning down and resting my forehead on his cold cheek. "I'm so sorry."

"N – no." I lifted my head and saw him staring at me, blue eyes brimming with tears. Damnit – why did he keep doing this to me? I could feel my defenses crumbling from the inside out. Rufus had chosen well; the kid was definitely special.

"Don't talk, Reno. Save your energy," I said, placing a gentle hand on his head. He shook his head minutely, causing the tears to spill. I watched them run down his cheek with something akin to fascination. Was he really crying?

"I c – can't," he rasped. It felt like my blood froze inside my veins as his eyes dulled and rolled back into his head and his eyelids finally slid shut.

"Reno? Reno, stay with me!" I slapped his cheek again, but his head only lolled to the side. "Damnit, Reno, don't do this!" I grabbed his shoulders and shook him as hard as I could without making his injuries worse, but he remained completely limp. I gave a wordless cry of frustration and laid him back on the ground.

I stared at Reno's pale face, peaceful in unconsciousness. His lips were slightly parted, his brow only slightly creased, and in the darkness I could almost pretend he was sleeping. He looked so young…

Something thumped loudly on the floor above us. I jumped and was immediately ashamed. I was a Turk, damnit! I didn't get startled! I listened closely and managed to catch two separate voices, a male and a female. My pulse quickened with excitement. Could it be – ?

"Rude? Reno?"

Thank the Gods!

"Down here!" I roared, already gathering Reno's lifeless body into my arms. Damn, he was light. I chose to ignore the warm blood that started trickling down my bare forearms.

Tseng and Elena met me at the bottom of the stairs. Tseng's sharp eyes took in everything in one glance: the dead bodies all around, Reno's limp and bloody form, and my – I'm guessing – pretty horrified expression. He said nothing, but our eyes met after he saw Reno and I knew he understood.

"Let's go," he said, seemingly all business. Elena was a little less professional.

"Holy shit, Reno!" she shrieked, her hands flying to her mouth. "What happened?"

"I'll explain later, but right now we need to get him to a medic," I said, shoving past her and climbing the stairs behind Tseng. Elena trailed behind us silently, but I could feel her eyes burning the back of my skull, in an attempt to get into my head. I had no idea what I must have looked like at that time. Covered in Reno's blood? Definitely. Terrified out of my mind? Probably. Close to tears? I wouldn't have doubted it. But what really must have gotten to Elena was the fact that she had never seen me like that before. Apparently, Reno brought out a side of me I never knew I had.

I clutched his limp body closer to myself as we emerged into the cool November air. I couldn't lose him, it was too soon and the kid was far too precious.

Tseng helped me lift him into the waiting helicopter, and I clambered in immediately after, retaking my vigil at his side. Tseng took the controls and we were off the ground faster than I would have thought possible. Elena settled on Reno's other side and stared down at him in that sentimental way only women can master. She ran light fingers over his cracked goggles and through his blood-matted hair and I suddenly felt the strangest urge to swat her hand away. Ridiculous.

"I see you bandaged some of the wounds," she said quietly, turning sympathetic eyes in my direction.

"Tried to, at least," I said.

"With Reno's shirt?"

"It was already ripped beyond repair."

"I see." She paused, her hand still resting gently in my partner's hair. "How long has he been out?"

"Just a few minutes."

"Really?" She seemed surprised. "With these injuries?" I nodded wordlessly and she turned back to Reno. "Impressive."

No, I wanted to say. Not impressive. Horrible. Terrifying. The kid was in _agony_.

"Elena, can I speak with you for a moment?" Tseng called from up front. Elena rose with a final stroke of Reno's hair and left me alone with him again. I took his right hand and absently started wiping the blood off his fingers.

"You can pull through this, Reno," I whispered. For some reason I was sure he could hear me.

The flight back to headquarters took longer than it had earlier that day, or so I thought. According to Tseng, we actually made better time than we had before, but that didn't matter. Everything was too slow. Reno was dying.

Elena had called ahead, so the medical team was ready when we landed on the helipad. No sooner had the door opened than I found myself pushed unceremoniously aside in the medics' attempts to get Reno out quickly. I had to consciously fight back a cry of protest when his hand was ripped from mine, but they were careful and I knew they were good (I had lost track of the number of times they had saved our lives before) so I restrained myself.

Elena joined me as we rushed after them to the medical ward, her brown eyes wide. I saw her staring at me and made a face but didn't slow my pace.

"What?" I demanded, maybe a bit harsher than I had intended.

"You have feelings," she stated, in awe. I scoffed.

"What are you talking about?"

"You care about him!"

"Of course I do. What's your point?" I demanded, getting kind of pissed. She got this knowing look on her face then and I wanted nothing more than to sock her.

"I've never seen you like this before, Rude. I'm glad that Reno brings this out in you. I didn't think anyone would," she said, then waved and turned down an adjacent hallway.

This time I did stop, watching her back as she ran down the hall. Did I really care so much for the kid? I hadn't even known him for more than a week. We had trained a bit together, but this was our first mission. He was too talkative, too uncouth, too… fun. I blinked and resumed my trip to the medical ward, really thinking.

"I'm sorry, sir, but this is as far as you can come." A medic stopped me just before the doors at the end of the hall. "We've taken your partner into surgery. You'll have to wait out here."

"Thanks," I muttered, turning away while still lost in thought. It wasn't until I ran into Tseng that I realized how far from the medical ward I had gone.

"Are you all right?" he asked. "You look dead on your feet."

"Long day," I grumbled. Tseng smiled slightly and placed a comforting hand on my shoulder.

"The kid will pull through this, Rude. We've all had injuries like that and made it, and Reno's tough." Tough, he says. He hadn't seen the kid crying and bleeding on the floor of the basement, apologetic because he just couldn't bear to stay conscious any longer. He hadn't seen him so weak, complaining about being cold and tired. He hadn't –

"Rude." I blinked, unaware that he had been trying to get my attention. His dark eyes were sympathetic, an expression I was starting to get royally sick of. "Maybe you should wash your hands." I looked down and sure enough, my hands were coated in Reno's blood. It made me feel sick.

"Yeah, sure. Thanks."

I washed my hands six times before I felt the blood really come off. My hands were red and raw by that time, but it made me feel better. There was still no news of Reno, but I officially heard that our mission had been a success. Ha. Success. I wonder if Reno thought it was a success…

He was in surgery for a little more than five hours. By that time, I had fallen asleep in the waiting room, so the medics had to rouse me before I could go see him.

Did I mention I hate hospitals? Because I do, and seeing my new partner covered in bandages in one of those sterile white beds with all the beeping and glowing monitors really pissed me off. Looking down at him from the doorway, noting the stark contrast of his bright red hair against the white of the pillow and remembering how it had at one point been matted with blood and gore, I vowed then and there to never allow this to happen to him again. As long as Reno was my partner, I wouldn't allow him to come to as much harm as he did today.

"Rude?"

Damn, it was good to hear him talk again.

"I'm here, kid," I said, moving over to the side of the bed. He screwed up his face.

"Don't call me 'kid'," he protested. I smirked.

"Whatever you say, partner." Reno smiled and finally opened his eyes. I don't think I've ever been so happy to have his blue gaze focus so completely on me.

"That's better," he said. "So was the mission a success?"

"Tseng killed their leader, yes," I said quietly. Reno sighed in relief and sank back into the pillow, closing his eyes again.

"Good. 'Cuz I'd be really pissed if I'd gone through all that only to find out the mission had failed." I rolled my eyes.

"Your priorities are way off, kid," I said. He opened one eye to glare at me, so I corrected myself. "Partner." The eye closed again.

"Looking for silver-lining, I guess," he said with a yawn.

"If you're tired, I can leave," I said, frowning slightly. Was even this too much for him?

"No, stay," he insisted, grabbing my hand from where it had been resting on the bed beside him. "I'm fine, really."

"But you must be tired –"

"No," he said forcefully. "I just… I don't want to be alone right now." I didn't say anything for a moment, and his grip on my hand tightened. "Stay."

I couldn't deny him that.

I pulled up a chair and sat beside him, still holding his hand. He noticed my silence and opened his eyes again to watch me.

"What's wrong?" he asked, so innocently, like he really cared. Damn, but this kid could make my defenses collapse. It was like I had been emotionally dormant for my whole life and then BANG! Reno had come along and woken me up. I didn't know if I liked it yet.

"I'm just thinking," I said. Something in my tone must have made it sound like I wanted my thoughts to remain private, because he just looked away from me and closed his eyes. Mere minutes later, he was fast asleep.

I watched him sleep for about an hour. I know it sounds creepy, but I just felt like I had to protect him from… something. Everything. He seemed so vulnerable in sleep, like he really was just a child even though he was only about six or seven years my junior. What we had been through today made him more than just my partner, Reno. It had made him _my_ Reno, and I wanted to keep him.

I leaned in close to him, still holding his limp hand.

"I promise you won't be alone again," I whispered. "As long as I'm your partner, I will protect you."

_-fin-_


End file.
